Category: News

After a lot of leaks and rumors, Valve’s new Steam Controller is finally launching, but it is arriving without the rest of the company’s hardware lineup.

Valve’s official Steam page lists the controller for purchase on May 4, 2026, at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, while The Verge reports that it will cost $99 in the U.S., with regional pricing set at $149 AUD in Australia, $149 CAD in Canada, €99 in the EU, and £85 in the UK.

This release is unusual because Valve originally revealed the Steam Controller in November 2025 as part of one big hardware plan that also included the Steam Machine and Steam Frame VR headset. Now, the controller is coming first, giving PC and Steam Deck players an early option while Valve prepares for the rest of the lineup.

Steam Controller Release Date

The new Steam Controller will go on sale on Monday, May 4, 2026, at 1 p.m. ET or 10 a.m. PT. Valve confirmed the launch details one week before release, with sales opening on May 4, 2026, at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET.

Before the Steam Controller Release Date, Valve is not taking pre-orders for the Steam Controller; purchases are scheduled to open directly on launch day.

This is the first confirmed launch from the company’s latest Steam hardware plan.

This is the first confirmed launch from the company’s latest Steam hardware plan. The Steam Machine and Steam Frame are still planned, but Valve has not given any confirmed release date for them. The Verge reports that the Steam Controller is launching before the Steam Machine and Steam Frame, while Valve says it still expects to share more news about the rest of the hardware lineup later.

How Much Does the Steam Controller Cost?

The Steam Controller will cost $99 in the United States. The Verge also listed regional pricing as $149 AUD in Australia, $149 CAD in Canada, €99 in the EU, and £85 in the UK. PC Gamer noted that the controller is more expensive than many basic PC gamepads, but described it as a couch-friendly Steam controller built for players who want PC-style controls away from a desk.

The controller will not be available in every market at launch, and Valve has not listed India among the official launch regions. Valve is releasing it in regions where Steam hardware is currently supported, including Europe, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. India is not listed as an official launch market for the Steam Controller.

This price does not come as a complete surprise because a similar $99.99 figure had surfaced a few days earlier after YouTube channel Techy Talk briefly posted what appeared to be an early Steam Controller review before taking it down. Screenshots and reuploads from that video quickly spread across Reddit, with Steam Deck HQ cautioning at the time that the figure should be treated as unofficial until Valve confirms it. Now that the company has announced the controller’s price, the earlier leak appears to have been accurate.

Why Is Valve Releasing the Steam Controller Alone?

The Steam Controller is launching first because it is easier for Valve to ship than the Steam Machine, while the company has not yet announced final release timing for the Steam Machine or Steam Frame. Reports say memory and storage shortages complicated Valve’s wider hardware plans, but Valve also says the Controller and Steam Machine were not strictly required to launch on the same day.

Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais told The Verge that the company does not have a Steam Machine or Steam Frame update to share yet, but said Valve is working to get them out the door.

Valve hardware engineer Steve Cardinali explained that the Steam Controller is easier to release first because it does not use RAM, unlike the Steam Machine. He said, “This doesn’t have RAM in it, and it’s not as complicated to start getting out the door for us. We’re ready for it. We wanted to build up quantity so that we could try to address everybody who wants one at launch, but it’s possible that the demand for it far exceeds our expectations.”

This means the Steam Machine is not launching alongside the Controller on May 4, though Valve still says more news on the wider hardware lineup is expected later.

What Are the Features and Specifications?

The new Steam Controller is built directly around the same idea that made Steam Deck successful, which is “providing comprehensive PC control inputs that just work for any game.”

Valve’s official Steam Controller page lists magnetic thumbsticks using TMR technology, which are designed for better feel, long-term reliability, and responsiveness. TechRadar also highlighted the controller’s dual touchpads, TMR thumbsticks, HD haptics, gyroscope controls, and four remappable rear buttons.

The controller is not limited to the Steam Machine, but its deepest functionality is built around Steam and Steam Input. Valve says it is designed to work with any computer running Steam, including macOS, Windows, and Linux systems. It can also work with smartphones and tablets through Steam Link or as a general-purpose controller, although full feature support may depend on the device and setup.

The controller also includes the Steam Controller Puck, which works as a wireless receiver/transmitter and charging dock. TechRadar says the controller connects to the puck magnetically, charges through it, and pairs with a PC through the same accessory.

For a detailed breakdown of the controller’s specs and features, look below:

• Gamepad Controls: A B X Y buttons, D-pad, L & R analog triggers, L & R bumpers, View & Menu buttons, Steam & QAM buttons, 4x assignable grip buttons.
• Thumbsticks: 2x full-size magnetic thumbsticks (TMR) with capacitive touch.
• Haptics: 4x haptic motors, 2x LRA haptic motors in trackpads for HD tactile feedback, 2x high output LRA haptic motors in grips for HD game haptics, including rumble.
• Trackpads: 2x 34.5mm square trackpads with haptic feedback, pressure-sensitive for configurable click strength.
• Grip Sense: 2x capacitive areas along the back of the Steam Controller handles.
• Gyro: 6-axis IMU.
• Steam Controller Puck: 2.4GHz wireless connection, ~8ms full end-to-end, 4ms polling rate (measured at 5m), Up to 4 Steam Controllers per Steam Controller Puck, Steam Controller Puck connects to a PC via USB-C.
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.2 minimum, 5.0 or higher recommended.
• USB: USB-C tethered play.
• Charging: Steam Controller Puck charging interface, USB-C connector.
• Battery: 8.39 Wh Li-ion battery, 35+ hours of gameplay (Battery life for tracked gameplay with Steam Frame is reduced).
• Weight: Steam Controller: 292 g, Steam Controller Puck: 16 g.
• Size: Steam Controller: 111mm x 159mm x 57mm, Steam Controller Puck: 50mm x 28mm x 9mm.
• For now, the Steam Controller is the clearest part of Valve’s new hardware plan. It has a confirmed launch date, a fixed price, and early hands-on reviews by many outlets, including IGN’s Steam Controller unboxing video. The Steam Machine, on the other hand, is still waiting for its chance.

More than a decade after its first Steam Machine experiment failed to change PC gaming, Valve is returning with a much more serious attempt. The new Steam Machine is a compact, cube-shaped gaming PC built around SteamOS, designed to bring a player’s Steam library to the living room without the hassle of a full desktop setup.

With hardware shaped by the success of the Steam Deck, Valve is positioning the Steam Machine for 4K gaming at 60 FPS with FSR in supported titles, but that should be treated as an upscaling-based target rather than a guarantee for every game. Valve is clearly trying to make PC gaming feel easier and more console-like. Here is everything we know so far about the Steam Machine’s release window, features, specs, expected price, and availability.

Steam Machine Release Date: When Will It Launch?

The Steam Machine does not have an exact release date yet, but Valve says it still plans to ship the device in 2026. Valve’s launch language has shifted from early 2026 to the first half of 2026, and the company later clarified that the Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller remain planned for 2026. Final launch and pricing plans are still being affected by memory and storage shortages.

The Verge also reported that Valve clarified its 2026 plan after earlier wording caused confusion, with spokesperson Kaci Aitchison Boyle saying that “nothing has actually changed” about the company’s timeline. Valve later updated its wording to more clearly say that it expects to ship all three products in 2026.

These shortages are linked to wider pressure on memory and storage supply, including increased demand from AI companies and data centers, and they have also affected Steam Deck availability. For now, the safest answer is that the Steam Machine is planned for 2026, but Valve has not announced a final release date, preorder date, or price.

Steam Machine Price

Valve has not announced the official Steam Machine price yet, and there is still no confirmed price for either the 512GB model or the 2TB model. The company has said that memory and storage shortages are affecting its pricing plans, which may be one reason the final price has not been revealed.

A recent leaked $99 figure appears to refer to the new Steam Controller, not the Steam Machine. Tom’s Hardware reported that the number came from an early controller review that appeared online before being removed, and Valve has not officially confirmed that price.

For the Steam Machine, Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais has suggested that the device will be priced more like a comparable gaming PC than a subsidized console, saying that if someone built a PC with a similar level of performance, that would be the general price window Valve is aiming for.

Earlier estimates placed the Steam Machine lower, but those estimates are now unreliable because Valve has not announced pricing and component costs have shifted since the hardware was first shown.

Unconfirmed Czech retailer listings reportedly placed the lower-storage model around $950 and a higher-storage model around $1,070, but because these were retailer leaks, converted prices, and not Valve-confirmed pricing, they should be treated only as rough speculation.

For now, the only confirmed answer is that Valve has not announced the Steam Machine’s final price and any exact price should be treated as speculation until the company confirms it.

Steam Machine Specs and Features

Valve has shared enough details to show that the Steam Machine is much stronger than the Steam Deck. It uses a semi-custom AMD setup with a Zen 4 CPU and RDNA 3 graphics.

According to SteamDB’s summary of Valve’s announcement and press information, the Steam Machine includes a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 CPU with 6 cores and 12 threads, running up to 4.8GHz, and a semi-custom AMD RDNA 3 GPU with 28 compute units, a 2.45GHz max sustained clock, and 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM. The system also includes 16GB of DDR5 memory.

Valve is offering two storage models, 512GB and 2TB. Both models support expandable storage through a microSD card slot. The Steam Machine will also be available standalone or bundled with the new Steam Controller.

Here are the announced and press-reported Steam Machine specifications:

• Models: 512GB model and 2TB model.
• Size: 152mm tall, or 148mm without feet; 162.4mm deep; 156mm wide.
• Weight: 2.6 kg.
• CPU: Semi-custom AMD Zen 4, 6 cores / 12 threads, up to 4.8GHz, 30W TDP.
• GPU: Semi-custom AMD RDNA 3, 28 compute units, 2.45GHz max sustained clock, 110W TDP.
• Gaming Performance: Valve says the Steam Machine is designed for 4K gaming at 60 FPS with FSR in supported titles, with ray tracing support and more than six times the power of the Steam Deck. Actual performance will vary by game and settings.
• Memory: 16GB DDR5 RAM plus 8GB GDDR6 VRAM.
• VRAM Bandwidth: 18Gbps GDDR6 memory modules with 288GB/s total bandwidth.
• Storage: 512GB and 2TB SSD models.
• Expandable Storage: microSD card slot for expanded storage and portable game catalog.
• Upgradeability: SSD and DDR5 SODIMM memory are accessible and upgradeable; the SSD can support M.2 2230 and 2280 drives.
• Power Supply: Internal power supply with AC power support from 110V to 240V.
• DisplayPort 1.4: Supports up to 4K at 240Hz or 8K at 60Hz, with HDR, FreeSync, and daisy chaining.
• HDMI 2.0: Supports up to 4K at 120Hz, with HDR, FreeSync, and CEC.
• Ethernet: 1Gbps Ethernet.
• USB-C: One USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, 10Gbps, located on the back.
• USB-A Ports: Two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports on the front, with one positioned for the Steam Frame wireless adapter. Also includes two USB-A 2.0 high-speed ports on the back.
• Wireless: 2×2 Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 with dedicated antenna, and integrated Steam Controller 2.4GHz radio.
• Compatibility: Works with other controllers, accessories, and PC peripherals. It can also wake with the Steam Controller.
• Operating System: SteamOS 3, based on Arch Linux.
• Desktop Mode: Includes the KDE Plasma desktop environment.
• Software Features: Familiar gaming-first user experience, fast suspend/resume, Steam Cloud saves, and other expected Steam features.
• Game Verification: Valve has said Steam Deck Verified games will also be Verified on Steam Machine, while the Steam Machine Verified program is expected to have fewer constraints than Steam Deck verification.
• Customizable LED Bar: 17 individually addressable RGB LEDs. Users can personalize colors and animations, and the bar can reflect system status such as downloads, booting, and updating.

Steam Machine Availability: Where Will It Launch?

The Steam Machine is expected to launch in the same broad regions where Valve already sells Steam hardware, but Valve has not yet announced final regional rollout or preorder details. Komodo Station lists Valve’s Steam hardware family for Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, where Komodo says it is the official licensed provider of Steam Deck., with the Steam Machine currently marked as coming soon.

The new Steam hardware lineup is expected to follow Valve’s current Steam hardware markets, including North America, the UK, the EU, Australia, and Komodo-supported Asian markets, but final preorder and shipping details have not been announced. Valve has not yet confirmed final pre-order dates.

The virtual Octagon may be close to opening its doors again. Nearly three years after the release of EA Sports UFC 5 in October 2023, Dealabs’ billbil-kun and Insider Gaming are now reporting a leaked launch date for the next installment in EA’s MMA franchise — and the wait may be shorter than most fans expected.

Update: EA has now officially confirmed the June 19, 2026 release date, pre-order details, early access window, and launch platforms for UFC 6. Read our full follow-up here: EA Sports UFC 6 Release Date Confirmed as Pre-Orders Open.

According to Insider Gaming, which cited Dealabs’ billbil-kun and said it corroborated the date through its own sources, EA Sports UFC 6 is reportedly targeting a June 19, 2026 release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with an official announcement reportedly expected by the end of April. EA has not confirmed any of these details.

How the Leak Unfolded

The UFC 6 release-date leak did not arrive all at once. It built up over months, then crystallized almost overnight.

The groundwork was laid as far back as October 2024, when Insider Gaming journalist Mike Straw first reported that EA Sports UFC 6 was in full production. That earlier report did not lead to an official reveal in 2025. EA made no public announcement on the project well into early 2026 — but public signals began to build.

In January 2026, EA Sports confirmed Patch 1.31 as the final update to introduce new playable content for UFC 5, effectively ending the game’s new playable content cycle. The announcement was paired with a forward-looking message telling fans to expect more news in Spring 2026. EA did not name UFC 6 or confirm a new game, and EA’s official UFC 5 news page still has not posted a formal UFC 6 reveal at the time of writing. Still, the Spring 2026 tease gave fans a reason to expect news on the franchise’s next step.

Then came the unscripted moment that cut through the noise. During an appearance on streamer Adin Ross’s Kick livestream, UFC CEO Dana White appeared to confirm the game’s existence and timeline. “Did we announce the covers yet?” White said, before clarifying that cover work had only just wrapped up days earlier. He then added: “Yeah, [we’ll see UFC 6 this year], and there will be two covers.” It was the kind of organic disclosure no PR team would have planned — and it sent the community into overdrive. EA has not followed it with a formal announcement.

The clearest release-date claim arrived on April 26, 2026. Dealabs insider billbil-kun reportedly claimed that EA Sports UFC 6 is set to release on June 19, 2026 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Insider Gaming later said it had corroborated the date through its own sources, giving the report a second layer of claimed corroboration.

What the Leaks Currently Claim

Platforms and Pricing

The leaked June 19 date is currently reported for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Pricing has also appeared in the same reporting, with the Standard Edition reportedly listed at $69.99 in the US and €79.99 in Europe — but EA has not confirmed those details. The same reporting also claims physical copies are expected at launch. No details on special editions or early access periods have surfaced yet.

Perhaps the most significant detail in the leak concerns PC. Insider Gaming reports that a PC port is in development, but says it was not planned to launch alongside the console versions. If that report holds, UFC 6 would become the first EA Sports UFC game to come to PC, though no PC release window is certain. The series has been console-exclusive since its inception in 2014, making this a genuine franchise first if it materializes.

Reported Gameplay Changes Remain Unconfirmed

Early reporting points to targeted gameplay changes, but the details remain thin and unconfirmed.

Early reporting has pointed to changes around stand-up fighting, striking, kicking, and clinch handling, but EA has not detailed any UFC 6 gameplay systems yet. Exactly how that manifests in play hasn’t been detailed by any primary source yet.

The grappling system, according to Straw’s reporting, is expected to stay largely consistent with UFC 5 — refined rather than redesigned. That may frustrate a vocal segment of the community that has long called for a fundamental rethink of the ground game.

Pereira and Holloway Have Been Linked, But Not Confirmed

Two names have been consistently linked to the cover slots in recent reporting: Alex Pereira and Max Holloway — though neither has been confirmed by EA.

Pereira — a former UFC middleweight champion and two-time light heavyweight champion — has been linked to EA Sports promotional material in recent reporting. That has fueled speculation that he could be one of the cover athletes, but EA has not confirmed him for the game.

Holloway, meanwhile, has been linked to the second cover slot by Mike Straw — though Straw prefaced his entire April 15 information drop by noting none of it was “100% confirmed,” and that caveat applies to Holloway’s slot as much as anything else in that batch.

Crossplay: Still Up in the Air

Crossplay between PS5, Xbox, and PC was reportedly planned for UFC 6, which would be another franchise first. However, Straw has said he isn’t certain the feature “made the cut.” Given how much goodwill a clean crossplay implementation could generate — particularly as the game expands to PC for the first time — its inclusion or exclusion will be one of the more closely watched details at the official reveal.

The Reported Timing: A Summer Window

One of the more interesting parts of the UFC 6 leak is the reported timing. A Sports UFC 5 launched in October 2023, but the wider series has not been tied to one fixed release window: UFC 4 arrived in August 2020, while UFC 3 launched in February 2018. If the June 19 date is accurate, UFC 6 would land in a quieter summer window before the usual autumn sports-game rush.

June 19 would also fall neatly in the period surrounding International Fight Week, the annual UFC event week typically held in early July in Las Vegas — a natural marketing crossover between the game and live MMA.

The compressed window between now and a potential launch — barely eight weeks if the date holds — would explain EA’s relatively muted pre-release drumbeat. The official reveal is expected by the end of April, according to current reporting.

The Community’s Reaction

Response from the MMA gaming community has been a mix of genuine excitement and cautious skepticism. The excitement is easy to understand: this is the first new UFC game in nearly three years, it potentially marks the series’ PC debut, and the reported gameplay changes sound meaningful if accurate.

The skepticism, however, is equally understandable. A development cycle of under two years is short by any measure, and the community has been disappointed before — UFC 4’s physical boxed sales in the UK reportedly dropped 47% from UFC 3 at launch, a figure that reflects how sharply the fanbase can respond when a release disappoints. Career mode in particular has been a recurring frustration, with many calling for a complete overhaul of what they describe as a monotonous and underdeveloped experience. If UFC 6 doesn’t address that mode meaningfully, expect the criticism to be loud.

There are also those speculating about what a UFC 6 announcement means for EA’s long-rumored Fight Night revival — with some worried that UFC 6 coming first may push the boxing game even further down the road.

What’s Next

The official reveal is expected by the end of April, according to current reporting. An announcement could clarify the release date, unveil cover athletes, and provide the first official look at gameplay — but until EA speaks, everything above remains reported and unconfirmed.

Following that, further details are expected to emerge ahead of any launch, including information on editions, pre-order bonuses, and whether crossplay made it into the final build. A clearer PC release window should also emerge in the weeks after the reveal.

Until EA confirms it, June 19 remains a reported date rather than an official one.

EA Sports UFC 6 is reportedly expected to launch on June 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. A PC version is reportedly in development, but no PC release window has been confirmed. EA has not officially announced the game or confirmed the reported date, pricing, cover athletes, gameplay features, or additional modes at the time of publication.

The suspect in Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting in Washington, D.C., has been identified by law enforcement officials and multiple reports as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California. Reuters reported that a LinkedIn profile in his name listed a 2017 mechanical engineering degree from Caltech, and Caltech confirmed that a person with that name graduated that year. While online profiles linked to Allen describe him as a tutor, teacher and indie game developer.

Allen was arrested at the scene and is expected to face federal charges including assault of a federal officer, discharging a firearm and attempting to kill a federal officer, according to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Authorities also said he was carrying a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. CBS News, citing law enforcement sources, reported that Allen had a history of firearm ownership, including the shotgun used in Saturday’s shooting, which was purchased in August 2025, and a semiautomatic pistol purchased in 2023.

U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said Allen is expected to appear in federal court Monday for arraignment, with additional charges possible as the investigation continues.

Authorities have not formally announced a final motive, but Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said investigators believe he set out to target Trump administration officials, likely including President Trump.

No attendees were seriously injured. A Secret Service agent was struck by gunfire, but officials said the agent’s bulletproof vest prevented more serious injury, and Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi confirmed the agent had been released from the hospital.

The shooting unfolded around 8:35 p.m. at the Washington Hilton, where the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was being held. Reuters reported that Allen fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent near a security checkpoint before being tackled and arrested. Many guests, including members of the White House press, quickly took shelter under their tables as Secret Service agents moved President Trump to safety.

Later, President Trump said on Truth Social that the shooter had been apprehended and later told reporters that officials believed the suspect acted as a “lone wolf.”

After Allen’s arrest, investigators began reviewing possible evidence, including writings, electronic devices and addresses connected to him. Separately, reporters and internet users began examining online profiles linked to Allen for background clues.

One LinkedIn profile matching his name and picture described him as a part-time teacher at C2 Education. CNN also reported that C2 recognized Allen as its “Teacher of the Month” in December 2024.

As per his LinkedIn profile, Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 2017. After that, he completed a master’s degree last year in computer science at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

His profile also listed him as a former member of Caltech’s Christian fellowship and Nerf club. In 2017, Caltech included him in a graduation post on Facebook, sharing both a recent photo of him in a cardigan and an older childhood photo of him holding a stuffed bunny.

That same year, he was also covered by a local news outlet for creating a prototype emergency brake designed for wheelchairs.

On LinkedIn, Allen also listed himself as a video game developer. He appears to have released an indie game called Bohrdom on Steam, where it is sold for $1.99.

The game is presented as a multiplayer fighting game inspired by chemistry, where the gameplay is built around electron interactions. On Steam, it is described as a “skill-based, non-violent asymmetrical fighting game loosely derived from a chemistry model that is itself loosely based on reality.”

Before the incident, Bohrdom appeared to be a very small indie release with limited public attention. Steam currently lists the game as having mixed user reviews, and its page shows Cole Allen as both the developer and publisher. Kotaku reported that Bohrdom drew renewed attention after Allen was identified, as people began examining his online background.

His LinkedIn profile also says that Allen was working on a second game called First Law, which he described as a top-down shooter/RPG focused on realistic 2D physics-based space combat. The project also appears to have had earlier names, including Artifact and Endgame, with Allen noting that the final title had not been decided.

Fuse Games and Secret Mode have not said when Star Wars: Galactic Racer is coming out. But Steam may have done it for them.

A pre-order graphic briefly appeared on the game’s Steam page showing an October 6, 2026 release date. It didn’t stay up long. Gaming account Wario64 caught it on X before it was pulled, and gaming forums and Reddit users were quick to spread the screenshot before it vanished. The same Steam update also appeared to include pre-order and Deluxe Edition materials before those details were removed — which is why most outlets covering this are treating October 6 as more than just a glitch.

Neither Fuse Games nor Secret Mode has said anything. The live Steam page still only lists 2026 as the release window. Until the developers speak officially, October 6 should be treated as a strong indicator, not a done deal.

Star Wars Galactic Racer Release Date: What the Steam Page Showed

The Star Wars Galactic Racer release date wasn’t the only thing that slipped out. Before the listing came down, it laid out the full pre-order and edition structure in detail — none of which had been announced anywhere officially.

Star Wars Galactic Racer Pre-order buyers are reportedly in line for a custom livery usable across all in-game vehicles and a matching player banner. Step up to the Deluxe Edition and you get three exclusive vehicles, a Deluxe livery, three extra arcade events, an additional player banner, and a digital art book. The Steelbook appears tied to physical Deluxe purchases on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, while the PC version is currently being presented through digital storefronts.

The fact that a full edition breakdown was sitting in that listing suggests this wasn’t a half-built placeholder. It went up looking ready.

Denuvo Appears to Have Been Removed

There is a second story running alongside the release date leak that PC players will want to know about.

Secret Mode appears to have removed Denuvo anti-tamper software from the game’s Steam listing on April 25, before the game has even come out. Denuvo had previously been listed on the Steam page and was gone within hours. Publishers dropping Denuvo before a game releases — rather than quietly removing it months after launch once the sales window closes — is not something that happens often. For players who avoid buying games that ship with Denuvo, this removes that barrier before it ever became one.

Star Wars Galactic Racer PC Requirements

Secret Mode published the PC specs through a Steam FAQ page earlier this year, and they are lower than you might expect for a game that looks as good as the trailers suggest.

To meet the minimum bar you need an AMD Ryzen 5 2600, Intel Core i5-8400, or 10th-gen Intel i3 on the CPU side, paired with an Nvidia RTX 2060, AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, or an Intel Arc GPU — the live Steam page currently lists the Arc A580 at minimum, though the Steam FAQ has also referenced the Arc A380, and Secret Mode has noted the specs may still change before launch. Either way, 12GB of RAM and a 50GB SSD round out the lower end.

Recommended specs move up to an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel Core i7-10700, an Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti, AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, or Intel Arc B580, with 16GB of RAM. Storage stays at 50GB. For context on how Star Wars games have handled PC requirements in the past, Star Wars Squadrons set a similarly accessible bar when it launched — Fuse Games appears to be following the same approach.

At the high end, the game ships with DLSS 4.5 — covering Nvidia’s second-generation transformer model for Super Resolution upscaling and Dynamic Multi Frame Generation — alongside hardware ray-traced Lumen lighting that can be pushed further with DLSS Ray Reconstruction. For Steam Deck players, Secret Mode confirmed a 30fps experience described as high-fidelity for handheld play.

What the Star Wars Galactic Racer Game Actually Is

Star Wars: Galactic Racer is being made by Fuse Games, a UK studio set up in 2023 by people who spent years making Need for Speed and Burnout at Criterion Games. The studio’s CEO, Matt Webster, worked on Star Wars: Battlefront while still at Criterion. About 150 people in total are working on the game, with Lucasfilm Games involved in the creative side from day one — part of a wider push to bring the Star Wars licence to more studios, a shift that also brought us Star Wars Outlaws in recent years.

The story is set after the fall of the Empire, in the New Republic era. You play as Shade — a racer with a grudge against a family called the Bool clan — who gets pulled into the Galactic League, an underground racing circuit operating out of the lawless Outer Rim. The man who runs the league, Darius Pax, brings Shade in to help bring down Kestar Bool, the ruthless rival who has taken over and is pushing Pax out entirely.

The game supports up to 12 players online in PvP racing, with a ranking system planned for competitive play. The PlayStation Store also lists optional in-game purchases alongside the confirmed 12-player online support. There are four types of vehicles: landspeeders, speeder bikes, podracers, and the skimspeeder — a new class that has not existed in Star Wars before this game. Sebulba and Ben Quadinaros from Episode I are both returning. Fuse Games has confirmed that podracing is part of the vehicle lineup — which matters, given how much of the game’s early buzz was built on nostalgia for the 1999 Star Wars Episode I Racer. The game is being positioned as a current-gen release for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Fuse Games has also said there are currently no plans for a season pass — notable given the backlash Star Wars Outlaws faced over its post-launch content strategy.

It is the first dedicated Star Wars racing game since Racer Revenge in 2002.

October 6 and What It Means for the Rest of 2026

If October 6 holds up, it drops the game into a stretch of the fall calendar that is relatively open right now. Kotaku pointed out that publishers have been steering clear of the pre-holiday window this year, with most of them trying to avoid landing too close to Grand Theft Auto 6 in November. That has left October with breathing room — which could work in Galactic Racer’s favour, or it could just mean there is less competition around a quieter window.

PC Gamer raised the question of what this means for Star Wars Zero Company, the other major Star Wars game targeting 2026 but with no date at all yet — and further down the pipeline, Star Wars Eclipse reportedly remains years away, making Galactic Racer one of the few Star Wars titles actually on track for a near-term release.

What the leak suggests is that the pre-order structure is already prepared and the promotional materials were ready to go. An official announcement from Fuse Games and Secret Mode could come at any point. Whether that confirms October 6 or adjusts it is the one thing left to find out.

All release date information on Star Wars Galactic Racer in this article is based on a Steam listing and promotional materials that appeared briefly on April 24–25, 2026, as reported by Wario64 and covered by PC Gamer, Kotaku, and Twisted Voxel among others. Fuse Games and Secret Mode have not officially confirmed any release date for Star Wars: Galactic Racer.

Valve has not announced a price for its new Steam Controller. It has not announced a release date either. What appears to have happened is that at least one apparent review unit surfaced early, after YouTube channel Techy Talk briefly posted what looked like a full Steam Controller review.

The video was live only briefly before disappearing. It was long enough. Reddit users captured screenshots and re-uploaded a copy to a third-party streaming site before it vanished, and the number buried near the end of the video has been the only thing the Steam community has wanted to talk about since: $99.99.

Valve has not confirmed this figure. As Steam Deck HQ noted when reporting the leak, it should be taken with a grain of salt until Valve speaks officially. But with what appears to be a near-final review unit on camera and a reviewer quoting the price directly, the figure is being treated as credible across gaming forums and news outlets covering the story.

What Techy Talk’s Review Actually Said

The review, as pieced together from those who watched it before it went offline and the re-upload covered by Notebookcheck, was broadly positive about the hardware. The dual trackpads drew the most praise — by default, the right pad acts as a cursor and the left handles scrolling, which the reviewer presented as one of the Steam Controller’s strongest arguments for PC gaming on the couch.

The two headline complaints were more specific. First, the rechargeable battery is not easily swappable. Second, the surface finish: the reviewer described the controller body as rough-textured plastic that becomes slippery with dry hands, and said a soft-touch coating or rubber grip material would have been preferable at this price point.

Other notes from the review flagged by those who watched it included no audio jack, no swappable thumbstick parts or trigger-stop controls, and low-latency wireless handled through the Steam Controller Puck, which also doubles as a magnetic charger.

On the price itself, Techy Talk was direct in the now-removed video: “At $99, it’s not cheap — but it’s only $25 more than a PS5 controller and it can do so much more. And it’s still half the price of most premium controllers.”

How Reddit Reacted

The response across Reddit was immediate and split roughly along the lines of those who had been following the controller closely and those encountering the price for the first time.

The negative camp was loud. According to VICE’s coverage of the leak, one commenter put it plainly: “If it’s a hundred I’m out. I paid $50 for my original Steam Controller and loved it. Was willing to spend $80 on impulse but now I’ll wait until my Elite controller fails in some way.” Another user declared the price “way too much” after expecting a ceiling of $80. A third comment captured the gap between community expectations and reality: “Some people are going to be shocked. The Steam Machine and Steam Controller subreddits insisted it needs to be $60 or lower.”

The more measured responses acknowledged the hardware spec list. The TMR thumbsticks, four LRA haptic motors, 6-axis IMU, four rear grip buttons, 35-plus hour battery life, and three connection options represent what reviewers and community members noted as a meaningful step above what a standard $65–$75 gamepad offers. Steam Deck HQ’s own take was that the features do justify the ask, even if the price landed higher than expected. The dual trackpads — rare among mainstream standalone controllers — are the clearest argument that this is not a straight comparison to a DualSense or an Xbox Wireless Controller.

The original Steam Controller launched at $49.99 in 2015. At $99.99, the new model is exactly double that, and the doubling is what has stuck with the community more than any individual feature or complaint.

The Steam Controller Price in Context

At $99.99, the Steam Controller would sit roughly $25 above the standard DualSense MSRP and above the Xbox Wireless Controller, while landing well below premium models such as the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2. That positioning — above the standard tier, below the high-end tier — is the clearest reading of where Valve appears to be aiming.

Valve has already said memory and storage shortages forced it to revisit shipping schedules and pricing, especially around Steam Machine and Steam Frame, so it remains unclear whether the leaked controller price reflects component pressure, deliberate positioning, or both.

What the community reaction does make clear is that the expected ceiling was somewhere around $60–$80. The $99.99 figure is not indefensible for a controller with this specification list, but it lands noticeably above where much of the Steam community had set its expectations.

What Happens Next

Valve has not commented on the leaked review or the reported price. The video has been taken down and has not been officially acknowledged. The quick takedown suggests the video may have gone live earlier than intended.

With a review unit apparently in at least one creator’s hands and shipping records reportedly pointing to a U.S. shipmentof Valve “wireless PC controller” hardware earlier this month, an official announcement could follow soon. Whether that announcement confirms the $99.99 figure or revises it is the question the Steam community is now waiting on. We’ll update this article when Valve responds.

All pricing information in this article is based on a leaked review video reported across Reddit and gaming outlets on April 25, 2026. Valve has not officially confirmed any pricing or release date for the Steam Controller.

Square Enix has officially announced Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold, the sixth expansion for the long-running MMORPG, with a January 2027 release date. Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida revealed the expansion during his keynote address at the FFXIV Fan Festival 2026 in Anaheim on April 24, kicking off what the team is calling a new era for the game. Note that while Square Enix confirmed a wide range of features and content at the keynote, systems and content are still in active development and some details may change or be added across the broader 8.x patch cycle rather than arriving on day one. Here is everything confirmed so far.

Final Fantasy XIV Evercold — A New Story Arc Begins

Evercold launches the Godless Realms Saga, the next overarching story arc for Final Fantasy XIV following the conclusion of the Hydaelyn-Zodiark saga that ran from A Realm Reborn through Endwalker. Warriors of Light will be traveling to the Fourth — a reflection of Hydaelyn that has fallen into ruin and is slowly succumbing to ever-spreading ice. Despite the icy name, Yoshida was clear that Evercold is not a winter-themed expansion from top to bottom. Concept art shown at the keynote includes unique Aetheryte designs, sweeping city settings, dragon-adorned castles, and what has already been nicknamed “kitty town” by fans watching the livestream. The expansion’s teaser trailer is available now on YouTube, and the official teaser site is live at Final Fantasy XIV 8.0 Evercold.

Square Enix confirmed that Patch 7.5, arriving April 28, will begin advancing the main scenario toward the events of Evercold, with the full 7.5x series serving as the bridge leading into 8.0.

The Biggest Change in FFXIV History — Reborn and Evolved Combat Modes

The headline announcement beyond the expansion itself is a full battle system overhaul. Evercold introduces two distinct combat modes: Reborn Mode and Evolved Mode. Reborn Mode preserves the current combat system and job mechanics — named as such because it has been the foundation since A Realm Reborn — while Evolved Mode offers entirely new action rotations built around greater job identity and fewer inputs per rotation. Yoshida was careful to stress that Evolved Mode is not a simplified version of the game. Both modes will have their own strengths, but new jobs introduced in Evercold will only be playable using Evolved Mode. Existing jobs will be available in both modes, with the exception of limited jobs.

Further details on how the two modes work in practice, along with live gameplay, are being shown during the development panel at Fan Festival 2026 in Anaheim.

Two New Jobs Confirmed — Tank and Physical Ranged DPS

Two new jobs are coming in Final Fantasy XIV Evercold: one tank and one physical ranged DPS. Yoshida gave fans a teaser by walking on stage wearing a shirt featuring art of Praefectus Rhitahtyn sas Arvina — the two gun-shield-wielding boss from A Realm Reborn — before quickly shutting down speculation about which specific jobs are coming. Exact job names and abilities have not been revealed and are expected at the Berlin Fan Festival later this year. Both new jobs will only be playable using Evolved Mode.

Content Confirmed for Final Fantasy XIV Evercold

Square Enix confirmed a wide slate of content planned for the expansion and its subsequent patch cycle. Launching with 8.0: a level cap increase from 100 to 110, new cities, new distinctive areas, new dungeons, new Trials, and PvP updates. New allies, new gigantic constructs, and new enemy types will also be introduced. A new normal raid series and a new Ultimate raid are confirmed for the expansion era, though exact timing across the 8.x patch cycle has not been specified. Treasure hunts, FATEs, and the Hunt are all returning, though Yoshida noted they are due for evolution alongside other field content. The team is also working on a duty support option that will allow players to enter dungeons in pairs rather than solo — though a specific patch date for that feature has not yet been confirmed.

A new raid series will be revealed at the Berlin Fan Festival. Yoshida also confirmed the team is actively working to reduce the patch gap between updates going into the Evercold era, addressing one of the most consistent criticisms from the Dawntrail period.

Three Major System Overhauls Arriving With Evercold

Alongside the expansion content, three sweeping system changes are confirmed for the Evercold era. The first is Seasons, a complete overhaul to how players earn rewards and progress characters, replacing the existing Tomestone system. The second is an Armoury Update designed to make playing multiple jobs more flexible — item level will be reflectable across jobs, giving players more freedom in how they switch between roles without removing the incentive to optimise their primary job. Materia will not be included in the reflection system.

The third is Expanded Character Customization, which is the most extensive visual overhaul the game has received. Players will get a broad color picker for eyes, hair, and skin tone, improved eye shadow and lip options, face paint layering, and the ability to toggle off specific gear features such as visors on helmets. Action skins to visually customize specific job abilities are also coming, with more details promised at the Berlin Fan Festival. Character customization updates will continue rolling out across the 8.x patch series rather than arriving all at once.

Regional matchmaking for players within the same region is also confirmed and is arriving sooner than Evercold — Square Enix confirmed it is coming with the Patch 7.5 update on April 28.

Evangelion Crossover Alliance Raid — Ghosts of Desire

One of the most unexpected announcements from the keynote is a three-part Alliance Raid crossover with Neon Genesis Evangelion. Titled EVANGELION — Ghosts of Desire, the raid series is being developed by Square Enix in collaboration with khara, Inc. — the studio behind the Rebuild of Evangelion film series. No story details or gameplay specifics were shown beyond teaser images, and the full reveal is expected at a later Fan Festival or developer update. This marks one of the most high-profile crossover collaborations in Final Fantasy XIV’s history.

Nintendo Switch 2 Version Confirmed for August 2026

Square Enix President and CEO Takashi Kiryu took the stage at the end of the keynote to announce that Final Fantasy XIV is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in August 2026. The launch will include a free early access period of approximately one month to test server stability before the official release begins. The Switch 2 version will carry its own separate monthly subscription fee from the existing PC, PlayStation, and Xbox versions. Existing subscribers on other platforms will receive a 50% discount on the Switch 2 subscription fee. The Switch 2 version does not require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play.

Free Trial Expands to Include Shadowbringers

Starting April 28 alongside Patch 7.5, the Final Fantasy XIV free trial is being expanded to include the third expansion, Shadowbringers. New players will now have access to all content up to Patch 5.58 — covering A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers — at no cost and with no playtime limit. Square Enix describes this as the equivalent of four full Final Fantasy titles worth of content available for free.

Patch Roadmap to Final Fantasy XIV Evercold

Square Enix confirmed all patch dates at the keynote. Patch 7.5 arrives April 28 with new main scenario quests, a new Trial, and Echoes of Vana’diel Part 3. Patch 7.51 follows on June 2 with the new Cosmic Exploration Star Auxesia, Custom Deliveries: Tiisol Ja, and the Dancing Mad Ultimate raid. Patch 7.55 lands July 28 with Hildibrand Adventures updates, the debut of Occult Crescent: North Horn, and new Phantom Weapon quests. Patch 7.56 arrives September 8 with new main scenario quests and the introduction of the Beastmaster job. Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold then launches in January 2027.

Final Fantasy XIV 8.0 Evercold Highlights

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launched on November 14, 2025 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It is also available on Xbox Game Pass. Developed by Treyarch and Raven Software and published by Activision, it is the 22nd entry in the franchise and the eighth in the Black Ops line — arriving one year after Black Ops 6, a decision Activision would publicly reverse within weeks of launch.

The story of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

Set in 2035, the game follows David Mason leading an elite team into the Mediterranean city of Avalon to investigate the apparent return of terrorist Raul Menendez, who most believed was dead. On arrival, the team is exposed to a chemical called The Cradle — which causes them to share vivid hallucinations tied to each member’s past. The story unfolds across both those visions and the real world, against a conflict with a powerful private military group called The Guild, led by villain Emma Kagan. The cast includes Milo Ventimiglia as Mason and Kiernan Shipka as Kagan.

What you can play in Black Ops 7

Black Ops 7 launched with four main game modes. The Co-Op Campaign runs across 11 story missions, playable alone or with up to three friends — completing all 11 unlocks Endgame, a co-op mode for up to 32 players completing objectives together in Avalon, currently free to play for a limited time. Multiplayer launched across 18 maps: 16 core 6v6 maps and two dedicated Skirmish combat zones for 20v20 battles, with the classic Prestige system back. Zombies returns in the biggest round-based map in Black Ops history, set in the Dark Aether.

Black Ops Royale, added to Warzone in Season 2, is a battle royale mode with no pre-built loadouts and no second-chance respawn — players wingsuit in, scavenge for weapons, upgrade them, and fight to be the last squad standing.

How Black Ops 7 was received

Multiplayer and Zombies were generally well received, but the campaign drew sustained criticism. Playing solo meant no AI companions, no mid-mission pause, and no in-level checkpoints. Playing co-op resolved most of those problems, but the mode was designed around group play in a way that put solo players at a clear disadvantage.

Accessibility features

On April 9, 2026, Activision launched a free accessibility pilot program in partnership with Cephable — a platform that lets players control games through voice commands, facial expressions, head movement, and custom button mapping via a companion app on PC or mobile. The pilot is live across all platforms in Campaign, Zombies, Dead Ops Arcade, and the Firing Range. It was built alongside members of the disability community and tested with the RICOCHET anti-cheat team. Competitive multiplayer is not included in this initial rollout, but Activision has indicated the feature may expand to additional modes in the future.

Franchise strategy change

In December 2025, Activision publicly announced it would no longer release two Black Ops or two Modern Warfare games in back-to-back years. “We will no longer do back-to-back releases of Modern Warfare or Black Ops games,” the company stated, citing the need to “provide an absolutely unique experience each and every year” and promising future innovation that is “meaningful, not incremental.” The statement did not name or describe the next game in the series.

Black Ops 7 Season 3 — what launched

Season 3 launched April 2 with five new multiplayer maps, six new weapons, the Ashwood Zombies survival map, and Verdansk returning to Warzone with a new Launch Pad area. Endgame went free to play for a limited time. Season 3 also brought major Ricochet anti-cheat upgrades: expanded device detection, new account security measures, and updated protections against cheaters.

Subsequent patch updates through April 21 included: the Ion Core scorestreak’s health was reduced and EMP grenade damage against it was increased; a Deadeye Drone fix was applied; Ranked Play received loadout fixes including removal of an incorrectly included RC-XD scorestreak from some loadouts; challenge requirement display errors were corrected; and a prestige UI issue was resolved. Three new exotic weapons were also added to the Warzone Black Ops Royale mode, per the Warzone Season 03 patch notes.

Some currently tracked issues

The following are a selection of issues listed on Activision’s official support page, last updated April 17. The full list is longer — check support.activision.com for the complete picture.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Season 3 Reloaded — April 30

The full Season 3 Reloaded details were published today. The update goes live April 30 at 9AM PT across all platforms.

• Totenreich — a new round-based Zombies map set in a Norwegian fishing village. Features the Necropincer enemy, the Jotunn Star wonder weapon, a Wild Fire field upgrade, and a full main quest with rewards including the Richtofen operator skin.
• Three multiplayer maps — Onsen (new, Japanese hot spring setting), Summit (remastered from the original Black Ops), and Hacienda (originally from Black Ops 4 in 2018, remastered in Black Ops 6; that remastered version arrives here).
• Freerun (new mode) — ten players race through an obstacle course on a new map called Ascent using the full Omnimovement toolkit. Not seen in Call of Duty since Black Ops 3 in 2015.
• Heat Wave Havoc (limited-time mode) — cooperative actions raise your team’s Heat Level, unlocking escalating buffs for the whole squad.
• Freeze Tag (limited-time mode) — players are frozen instead of eliminated; teammates can thaw them before the enemy scores enough points to win.
• Hot Pursuit and Prop Hunt Royale (Warzone limited-time modes) — vehicle-based cops-versus-robbers on Avalon, and a 24v24 hide-and-seek game on Rebirth Island.
• Two new weapons — the Siren (charges for a slow, high-damage shot) and the Katana (melee sword), both earnable through in-game events.
• Operation Broken Mirror (Endgame Act II) — new challenges, rewards, and a Virus Injection Glitch mechanic. Completing it with three different operators unlocks exclusive weapon camos.
• Thermal Spike — a new Endgame major ability that sets nearby enemies on fire.
• Ultra-rare legacy weapons — added to the Zombies Mystery Box, described as rivalling the game’s most powerful wonder weapons. Specific weapons not yet disclosed.
• Military Appreciation Month event — supporting the Call of Duty Endowment charity initiative with a reward track to raise awareness for veteran employment.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Available on Xbox Game Pass. Season 3 Reloaded arrives April 30, 2026 at 9AM PT. Sources: callofduty.com, support.activision.com, GameSpot, Dexerto, Insider Gaming, Kotaku, PC Gamer, ESPN Gaming. Published April 23, 2026.

Mario’s creator speaks out after the animated sequel lands a 43% on Rotten Tomatoes — even as audiences hand it an 89% approval rating and box offices shatter records worldwide.

Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto has broken his silence on the critical reception to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, calling the wave of negative reviews from professional critics “truly baffling” — and expressing genuine surprise that the sequel has been received even more harshly than its 2023 predecessor. The comments came during a group interview with Japanese media timed to mark the film’s local Japanese release, and they have since ignited a debate about the gap between critical taste and audience appetite when it comes to Nintendo’s big-screen ambitions.

Shigeru Miyamoto on Super Mario Galaxy Movie Reviews: “Even Harsher Than Last Time”

In comments reported by GameSpot and Nintendo Life from an NDW interview, translated by Nintendo Patents Watch, Miyamoto was asked directly about the film’s critical reception in the West, where reviews have been largely negative. He replied that while he understood some of the criticisms aimed at the original Super Mario Bros. Movie, he had expected the sequel to land differently. “Actually, regarding the previous film, I felt that the critics’ opinions did hold some validity. However, I thought things would be different this time around — only to find that the criticism is even harsher than it was before.”

He described the response as more than puzzling. “We stepped in from another medium and did our best to help energize the film industry. And yet the very people who are supposed to champion the film industry are the ones being so negative; it’s truly baffling.”

It is a surprisingly candid and pointed statement from a figure who rarely speaks this frankly about reception to Nintendo’s projects. And it immediately raises a fair counter-question: the job of a professional critic is not to champion any industry, but to evaluate the work in front of them honestly. That distinction appears to be at the heart of the disconnect Miyamoto is feeling.

The Numbers: Critics vs. Audiences on the Super Mario Galaxy Movie Reviews

The split between critical and audience reception to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is one of the starkest of any major release in recent memory.

The film currently holds a 43% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on over 200 reviews — significantly lower than the first film’s already-modest 59% critics score. Audience reception, however, tells a very different story: the film holds an 89% Verified Popcornmeter score from the public on the same platform. On Metacritic, the film sits at a 37 Metascore, placing it firmly in “generally unfavorable reviews” territory.

The most common complaint across critical reviews mirrors what was said about the first film: that the movie prioritizes a relentless stream of franchise references and fan-service moments over cohesive storytelling and character development. Critics who appreciated the visual craft of the animation still largely found the narrative thin. Audiences — particularly families with younger children and longtime Nintendo fans — have been far more forgiving, and their enthusiasm has translated directly into box office results.

What Critics Said: The Core Complaint Behind the Shigeru Miyamoto Super Mario Galaxy Movie Reviews Controversy

The criticism directed at The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is not simply that it is a children’s film. Reviewers have repeatedly acknowledged that animated films for families can be excellent — pointing to Pixar’s output, the Spider-Verse films, and even Nintendo-adjacent properties as evidence that the format is not inherently limiting. The specific charge is that the film treats the act of recognizing a Mario character or location as a substitute for earning an emotional reaction, and that its plot exists primarily to move between set pieces rather than to build toward anything meaningful.

As GameSpot noted in its coverage of Miyamoto’s comments, it is not normally the job of any professional critic to “champion” an industry. Criticism, functioning at its best, can help elevate creative work and offer audiences alternative perspectives on what they have seen.

Miyamoto’s framing — that critics should be grateful that a company from “another medium” is working to energize the film industry — has been the most contested part of his comments, with many observers pointing out that critical rigour applies regardless of who made the film or how much money it has grossed.

Box Office Context: Why Shigeru Miyamoto’s Super Mario Galaxy Movie Reviews Response Matters Less Financially

Whatever critics have written, the commercial numbers make it very clear that the film is a historic success by any conventional measure.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie topped the domestic box office for three consecutive weekends and is already the highest-grossing film of 2026, having earned $355.2 million domestically and $747.5 million globally heading into its fourth weekend — and that figure was recorded before the film had even opened in Japan. The film cost $110 million to produce and is on track to become the first release of 2026 to cross $1 billion worldwide.

Combined with the original Super Mario Bros. Movie’s $1.3 billion worldwide gross, Deadline reports the Nintendo-Illumination-Universal franchise has now crossed $2 billion at the global box office across just two films.

That financial reality is almost certainly the reason Miyamoto can afford to be candid about his frustration with critics. When a film generates nearly $750 million globally before opening in one of its most important markets, the studio is not in a position of weakness. The reviews have hurt reputationally, but they have not hurt commercially.

Japan Release and the Unique Japanese Script

Miyamoto also addressed what makes the Japanese release of the film distinct from its international versions. “The Japanese version is a bit unique,” he said. “Normally, we create an English version and then localize it for each country, but for the first film, we developed the English and Japanese scripts simultaneously.” He expressed hope that the film would perform strongly in Japan and noted that the localization was handled with particular care, rather than being a straightforward translation of the English-language version.

Given that the original Super Mario Bros. Movie earned approximately $102 million in Japan alone during its run — an exceptional result for an animated Western production in that market — expectations for the Galaxy film’s Japanese opening are substantial.

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: The Following Section Discusses a Plot Point from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Peach’s Story and What It Could Mean for Future Nintendo Games

Separately from the reviews discussion, Miyamoto addressed one of the film’s notable story threads in the same interview round. According to VGC’s reporting, Miyamoto said he would like to adhere to the backstory established for Princess Peach in the film as much as possible in future games. That is a notable signal from the person who has historically kept game and non-game Mario fiction strictly separate, and it suggests the film series may begin feeding back into the broader Nintendo universe in a more meaningful capacity. VGC notes this as something that “may remain canon” rather than a fully confirmed permanent change, and it is worth treating it accordingly until Nintendo makes a more definitive statement through official game releases.

What Comes Next for Nintendo on Screen

Nintendo’s next major film project is the live-action The Legend of Zelda movie, scheduled for May 7, 2027. Recent reporting says filming has wrapped, and early behind-the-scenes images have already generated considerable audience interest. The commercial success of the Mario films — Shigeru Miyamoto Super Mario Galaxy Movie reviews controversy notwithstanding — has clearly given Nintendo and its partners the confidence to continue expanding their cinematic output. Whether the Zelda film takes a meaningfully different approach to storytelling than the Mario sequels have remains to be seen.

For the full context on where Nintendo’s retro gaming push sits alongside its film ambitions in 2026, see our breakdown of every confirmed GameCube game on Nintendo Switch Online and our full analysis of whether the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack is worth it this year.

Shigeru Miyamoto’s reaction to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie reviews is genuine, understandable from his vantage point, and still somewhat missing the point critics are making. He is correct that audiences love the film. He is correct that the box office numbers are extraordinary. But the gap between what critics expect from a $110 million animated feature and what Nintendo and Illumination have delivered twice in a row is not a mystery — it is a consistent set of clearly articulated objections about narrative substance that the production has, twice now, chosen not to address.

Whether that changes for a third film, or whether the financial returns make change unnecessary, is the real question Nintendo’s movie franchise has to answer next.

Nintendo Switch GameCube games are finally here, but only in a limited form. Nintendo has added GameCube titles to the Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics app on Nintendo Switch 2, and access requires a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership rather than the standard tier. That means this is not a broader GameCube rollout across all Switch hardware, and it is not a feature for the original Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo itself confirmed that setup on the official GameCube app page and in its Switch Online update tied to the Switch 2 launch. The company says the GameCube app released on June 5, 2025, launched with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-ZERO GX, and SOULCALIBUR II, and would expand over time.

That is the part that is actually confirmed. What is not confirmed is the much broader wishlist people keep attaching to the service. Nintendo has officially named only two upcoming additions on the current app page, Super Mario Sunshine and Pokémon Colosseum, and it still has not given either game a release date.

That matters because GameCube coverage gets sloppy fast. Once people start treating fan demand as if it were a release calendar, the article is already off the rails. Right now, the honest angle is narrower: Nintendo has opened the door to GameCube on Switch 2, the library is real, and the list of officially confirmed games is still relatively small.

Nintendo Finally Opened the Door to GameCube on Switch 2

For years, GameCube was the obvious missing piece in Nintendo’s retro subscription lineup. Now it has a place, but Nintendo has packaged it as a Switch 2-exclusive perk inside the Expansion Pack tier rather than a universal Nintendo Switch Online feature. That distinction is the core of the story, because it immediately separates this launch from the company’s older NES, SNES, Game Boy, and Nintendo 64 libraries.

Nintendo’s official wording also makes clear that this is being treated as part of the renamed Nintendo Classics lineup. In other words, the company is not framing GameCube as a one-off novelty drop. It is positioning it as another pillar of the subscription service, just one that starts on newer hardware only.

The Library Is Real, Even If It Is Still Small

As of April 22, 2026, Nintendo’s official GameCube page lists nine currently available games:

That is enough to make the service feel legitimate, but not enough to call it deep. The lineup already covers several of the platform’s best-known first-party releases, a strong racing game, a major fighting game, and a few titles with cult appeal, yet it still looks more like an opening phase than a mature archive. Nintendo has clearly started the library; it has not filled it out.

Sunshine and Colosseum Are Next, but Nintendo Has Not Dated Them

The next two confirmed additions are Super Mario Sunshine and Pokémon Colosseum. Those names appear on Nintendo’s official GameCube page under upcoming games, which is enough to treat them as real announcements rather than rumor or leak material.

But this is exactly where bad articles start overstating things. Nintendo has not attached release dates to either game on the official page. So the accurate line is that both titles are coming, not that they are arriving in a specific month or part of the year. Anything beyond that is filling in blanks Nintendo has left blank.

Nintendo Is Selling More Than Bare Emulation

Nintendo is also trying to make these releases feel more polished than a basic dump of old software into a menu. The official GameCube page says players can save at any time, use customizable controls stored per game, and play supported titles through local multiplayer, local wireless, or online play for up to four players. Nintendo also says the games offer clearer image quality and higher resolution than the original releases.

Its earlier Switch Online update added a few more details, including a retro CRT mode — which Nintendo previously also described more generally as a retro screen filter — and widescreen gameplay in titles that originally supported it. That is not a full remaster treatment, but it does show Nintendo is trying to present these as enhanced subscription versions rather than untouched museum pieces.

Nintendo is also selling an official wireless Nintendo GameCube controller for Switch 2, which Nintendo says is optional and available to paid Nintendo Switch Online members through My Nintendo Store in supported regions. The controller includes a C Button for GameChat and is only compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.

Super Smash Bros. Melee Is Still Missing, and So Are Plenty of Other Fan Favorites

This is the part fans will keep obsessing over: Super Smash Bros. Melee is still not on the official list. Neither are titles such as Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Metroid Prime, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, or Eternal Darkness. Nintendo’s current GameCube page does not confirm any of them.

So the clean takeaway is simple. Nintendo Switch GameCube games are no longer hypothetical, but the service is still in its early stage. The official lineup exists, the next two additions are known, and the rest of the conversation is still mostly fan expectation rather than confirmed release planning.

Helldivers 2 is getting another Premium Warbond on April 28, 2026, and this time Arrowhead is leaning hard into mechanized firepower. The Exo Experts Warbond adds two new Exosuit Stratagems, a disposable support weapon Stratagem, two new firearms, two armor sets, and a fresh batch of cosmetics. Arrowhead confirmed the release in an official PlayStation Blog post, which also debuted the Warbond’s trailer.

What matters most up front is that the Exo Experts Warbond is part of Helldivers 2’s paid Premium Warbond lineup, not a free content update. Arrowhead’s support FAQ says Premium Warbonds cost 1,000 Super Credits, are unlocked page by page using War Medals, and remain available permanently rather than expiring like a traditional battle pass.

Exo Experts Warbond release date and official reveal

The Exo Experts Warbond launches on April 28, with Arrowhead describing it as the latest Helldivers 2 Warbond and confirming that it requires the base game, Super Credits, and normal game progression to unlock. The official announcement does not list a precise release hour, so any exact launch-time claims floating around right now are guesswork unless Arrowhead publishes them separately.

That permanence is worth stating clearly because players still confuse Warbonds with limited seasonal passes. Arrowhead says existing Warbonds always remain available for purchase, which means the Exo Experts Warbond should stay in the catalog after launch instead of disappearing on a short timer.

Exo Experts Warbond weapons and Stratagems

The centerpiece of the Exo Experts Warbond Helldivers 2 weapons list is its pair of new Exosuit Stratagems. The EXO-51 Lumberer carries an anti-tank cannon and a flamethrower, while the EXO-55 Breakthrough comes with a flak cannon and a ballistics shield. Arrowhead also includes the MGX-42 Bullet Storm, a disposable machine gun Stratagem that gives players two units per usage.

On foot, the Exo Experts Warbond adds the SMG-203 Gallant, a high-rate-of-fire submachine gun that trades magazine size for improved penetration, and the P-33 Missile Pistol, which uses guided, heat-propelled rounds and a lock-on feature. What Arrowhead has not confirmed is any single-shot magazine size or reload-after-each-shot mechanic, so that part should not be written as fact.

What makes this release stand out is not that it is the first Warbond with Stratagems — that would be wrong — but that it appears to be the first Premium Warbond to put Exosuits directly at the center of the package. That is a cleaner and more defensible angle than overstating it as some kind of first-ever Stratagem Warbond.

Exo Experts Warbond armor and cosmetics

The Exo Experts Warbond also includes two armor sets: O-2 Heavy Operator and O-3 Free Spirit. Recent item breakdowns identify the O-2 Heavy Operator as heavy armor and the O-3 Free Spirit as light armor, which is the kind of detail players actually care about because it affects how the new passive fits different loadouts. Both armor sets use the Oxygenator perk, which increases walking, running, and sliding speed slightly.

On the cosmetic side, Arrowhead confirms the Watchful Compatriot and Free-Spirited Spangles capes, the Exosuit Certified title, the Thumb of Approval emote and victory pose, and the Mobile White patterns. Secondary breakdowns add that the Mobile White set applies to the FRV, Shuttle, Exosuit, and Hellpod, which is useful specificity for readers comparing customization rewards.

Exo Experts Warbond price and unlock path

The standard price for a Premium Warbond is 1,000 Super Credits, and the PlayStation Store lists 1,000 Super Credits at $9.99 in the US. Buying the Exo Experts Warbond does not instantly hand over every reward, though. Like other Warbonds, it opens a progression track, and players still need to spend War Medals to claim individual items across its pages.

There is one extra pricing wrinkle worth noting. The Super Citizen Edition includes a Premium Warbond Token, and Arrowhead’s FAQ says only Legendary Warbonds are excluded from token use. That means players who still have that token can use it on a Premium release like the Exo Experts Warbond instead of spending Super Credits. That is a real nuance, and most weak drafts miss it completely.

What is still unconfirmed about the Exo Experts Warbond

There are still limits to what Arrowhead has actually announced. The official reveal confirms the date, the item lineup, and the general theme, but it does not confirm a major mech rebalance, a larger gameplay overhaul, or a separate patch designed to reshape the Helldivers 2 meta. So any article claiming the Exo Experts Warbond will definitely transform top-level play is running ahead of the evidence.

The safer conclusion is also the cleaner one: the Exo Experts Warbond is a mech-focused Premium Warbond launching on April 28, built around two Exosuit Stratagems, a disposable support weapon, two new firearms, mobility-focused armor, and a full set of themed cosmetics. That is enough to make it a meaningful Helldivers 2 update without inventing features Arrowhead has not confirmed.

Nintendo broke nearly a year of silence on April 21, 2026, dropping a new Splatoon Raiders trailer alongside the game’s first confirmed release date. The new Splatoon Raiders trailer — running approximately three minutes — consists entirely of gameplay footage, making it the most complete look at the Switch 2 exclusive to date. If you are looking for a quick summary of the release date confirmation and pricing details, see our Splatoon Raiders release date article. This piece focuses specifically on what the trailer itself reveals.

How the Splatoon Raiders Announcement Was Made

Nintendo’s official post, titled “Splatoon Raiders Makes a Splash with a New, Treasure-Hunting Trailer,” frames the reveal around character creation and the game’s gadget-heavy combat. Multiple gaming outlets reported the announcement came through the Nintendo Today app, with no prior Direct presentation or scheduled showcase.

Splatoon Raiders Story Setup

The premise established in the original June 2025 announcement trailer shows Deep Cut riding a helicopter — presumably piloted by the Mechanic — when a beam of light triggers a violent cyclone over the Spirhalite Islands and brings the helicopter down. Deep Cut are then seen in worn-down outfits aboard a ship-like structure that serves as the Mechanic’s base, with Shiver fishing and Frye fidgeting with scraps nearby.

Shiver, Frye, and Big Man find a map of the Spirhalite Islands hidden in a basement, and their attempt to claim its hidden treasure is what leads to the crash. They drive the plot of the game from that point forward.

Splatoon Raiders Gameplay Loop

The trailer opens with a brief look at the character creator, showing the stylish hairstyles players can choose for their custom Inkling, before the core Splatoon Raiders gameplay loop takes centre stage: the player blasts colorful foes, reveals new parts of an overworld map, and uses earned resources to construct gadgets that assist in battle.

Nintendo’s official store description outlines the loop as follows: customize your character, kit yourself out with mechanical gadgets and ink-flinging weapons, take on waves of Salmonids, have a Deep Cut member accompany you in a powerful construct called the Exploration Bot to help fend off enemies and gather loot, bring your haul back to camp, upgrade your gear, then head out in search of more treasure.

The trailer appears to show players collecting materials as they explore, which secondary coverage suggests are used to build new gadgets and pursue collectible relics. A weapon that appears to be called the Splatchet is visible in the footage, as is a location that looks like a base-building or crafting station. Big Man is shown launching a group-sweeping attack alongside the player in one segment, giving a sense of how Deep Cut members actively contribute to combat beyond dialogue.

Weapons and Tools in the Splatoon Raiders Trailer

The Splatoon Raiders trailer shows the Mechanic uncovering what appears to be a large open world while finding treasure and crafting new custom weapons, including what looks like an axe and a paint turret. Other weapons visible in the footage include what appears to be a sniper turret, a shark-based projectile, and a spinning ink disc shield. Several shots show ink tanks fitted with multiple attachments, suggesting a meaningful degree of loadout customisation.

The trailer also appears to show the player riding on top of a Stingray in battle and includes what looks like a character voice selection option in the creation screen. The closing moments of the trailer show what appears to be a larger, more powerful Salmonid, suggesting boss encounters may be part of the game.

What Nintendo Has Officially Confirmed for Splatoon Raiders

Nintendo’s official store description reads: play as a mechanic working with Deep Cut — a trio of swashbuckling musicians — and venture out into the mysterious Spirhalite Islands. Customize your character, kit yourself out with mechanical gadgets and ink-splattering weapons, and take on waves of foes called Salmonids as you raid the islands for salvage. This is mainly a single-player adventure, but one member of Deep Cut will raid alongside you in the Exploration Bot. Players can also join with up to three other players online or via local wireless.

Splatoon Raiders Pricing, File Size, and Technical Details

Splatoon Raiders is priced at $49.99 for the digital edition in the United States and £41.99 digitally in the UK, both confirmed on Nintendo’s official regional store pages. Nintendo of America’s product page lists an estimated file size of 20GB. The game supports TV, Tabletop, and Handheld modes, requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership for online play, and supports Save Data Cloud. Nintendo’s US listing carries a content rating descriptor of Fantasy Violence. Pre-orders are live now on the Nintendo eShop and My Nintendo Store.

Splatoon Raiders Deep Cut Amiibo

The new amiibo for Frye, Shiver, and Big Man appear at the very end of the Splatoon Raiders trailer, showing all three Deep Cut members in their new in-game outfits. The figures’ bases connect together to form a unified display stand. Nintendo’s product pages list a separate entry for each figure, all releasing on July 23, 2026. In-game functionality has not yet been announced, and pre-orders for the amiibo are opening on My Nintendo Store.

Splatoon Raiders Series Context

The Splatoon franchise launched in May 2015 as a Nintendo Wii U exclusive. Splatoon 2 followed on Nintendo Switch, and Splatoon 3 arrived in September 2022. Splatoon Raiders is the franchise’s first ever spin-off, as confirmed by Nintendo at the time of the original June 2025 announcement, and will be the first Splatoon title released for Nintendo Switch 2.

What Is Still Unknown

Nintendo has not detailed the full progression structure, total mission count, or endgame content of Splatoon Raiders. The specific in-game benefits of the new amiibo remain unannounced. Nintendo has not confirmed whether a dedicated showcase or Direct for the game will follow before the July 23 launch.

Splatoon Raiders launches July 23, 2026, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2. Digital pre-orders are available now on the Nintendo eShop and My Nintendo Store.

Nintendo has confirmed the Splatoon Raiders release date as July 23, 2026, with the game launching exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2. The announcement arrived alongside a new trailer, giving the Splatoon spin-off its first firm launch date since Nintendo first revealed it in 2025.

That confirmation comes directly from Nintendo’s latest news post and the game’s official store page. Nintendo’s April 21 post is built around a new “treasure-hunting trailer,” while the official video is titled “Splatoon Raiders — Release Date Revealed — Nintendo Switch 2.”

Nintendo first announced Splatoon Raiders on June 10, 2025, calling it the first-ever Splatoon spin-off and introducing players to the game’s premise on the Spirhalite Islands alongside Deep Cut. At the time, Nintendo did not give a release date.

What is confirmed now is the release date, platform, core premise, digital price, estimated file size, and the game’s broad play structure. What remains less clear is the deeper progression loop and mission structure, which Nintendo still has not broken down in full.

The new trailer gives the spin-off a clearer identity

Nintendo’s latest post says the trailer shows “character creation” and “glitzy gadgets,” while the official store page describes Splatoon Raiders as a single-player-focused action shooter. Players take on the role of a mechanic working with Deep Cut and head to the mysterious Spirhalite Islands to raid for salvage and fight Salmonids.

That matters because the new footage and updated store copy finally make the game feel like more than a premise reveal. Nintendo is now presenting it as a defined exploration-and-combat adventure rather than just a Switch 2 spin-off with a name and a setting.

Store details add price, file size, and co-op support

Nintendo’s official US store page lists the digital version of Splatoon Raiders at $49.99 and gives the game an estimated file size of 20 GB. The page also confirms support for TV mode, Tabletop mode, and Handheld mode.

The same store listing says the game is mainly a single-player adventure, but not strictly solo. Nintendo says one member of Deep Cut will accompany the player in a powerful bot, and players can also join with up to three other playersonline or via local wireless.

Nintendo’s US store page also lists the game’s ESRB information as “Fantasy Violence.”

US physical pricing has also been reported at $59.99, while Nintendo Life says the UK digital version is priced at £41.99and UK physical pricing is still to be confirmed.

New Deep Cut amiibo are releasing the same day

Nintendo is also tying the launch to new Splatoon Raiders-themed amiibo. Official Nintendo product pages show separate listings for Frye, Shiver, and Big Man, each with a July 23, 2026 release date. Nintendo says details about their functionality in Splatoon Raiders will be announced later.

That separate-listing approach is the clearest way to frame the amiibo rollout right now. Nintendo’s own store pages support individual product entries, so it is safer to present them that way rather than as a confirmed single bundle.

What Nintendo still has not detailed

Nintendo has now confirmed the most important launch details: the July 23, 2026 release date, the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusivity, the game’s single-player-focused setup, optional co-op support, and the same-day rollout for the new Deep Cut amiibo.

What Nintendo has not yet fully explained is how progression, mission variety, and the full structure of the adventure will work across the entire game. For now, the clean takeaway is simple: Splatoon Raiders has moved from an interesting spin-off announcement to a clearly dated first-party Switch 2 release with a new trailer and a fuller official product profile.

Square Enix has detailed what players can expect from Final Fantasy XIV Patch 7.5: Trail to the Heavens, which launches on April 28, 2026. The official Patch 7.5 site confirms the date and outlines a broad feature set that includes new main scenario quests, a new dungeon and trial, the final chapter of the Echoes of Vana’diel alliance raid series, PvP additions, housing changes, and more across the wider 7.5x rollout.

The company has also made clear that the story is being split into two parts, with Part 1 arriving in Patch 7.5 and Part 2following later in Patch 7.56. Square Enix’s official description says the Warrior of Light returns from the Ninth to continue investigating the key before an ally’s unsettling message pulls events in another direction.

What is confirmed right now is the April 28 launch date, the headline 7.5 features, and the fact that not everything arrives on day one. The official site explicitly notes that some content will be made available later via patch updates, which is the important caveat for features like Beastmaster, the new Ultimate raid, and other 7.5x additions.

For players still sorting out platform support before the new patch lands, Is FFXIV Cross Platform is a relevant companion read here, especially since Square Enix’s official Patch 7.5 page continues to show the game across PlayStation, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Mac, and Steam.

Trail to the Heavens Begins the Next Stage of the Story

Patch 7.5 opens with Trail to the Heavens – Part 1 of the main scenario. On the official site, Square Enix frames this as a direct continuation of the key mystery, while also suggesting the Warrior of Light’s personal fate will move closer to the center of the story again.

The broader 7.5 cycle also includes the Dawntrail Allied Society capstone, Inconceivably Further Hildibrand Adventures, and new Custom Deliveries for Aunt Tii’s Tacos. Those are listed on the official Patch 7.5 site as part of the update series rather than as separate later reveals.

The Patch Adds a New Dungeon, Trial, Alliance Raid, and Unreal

On the PvE side, Patch 7.5 adds the new dungeon The Clyteum, which Square Enix describes as a long-abandoned Garlean manufactory that has become the front line of a new incursion. It also introduces the new trial The Unmaking, with the official site naming Enuo as the dread sovereign tied to the fight. The next Unreal encounter is Shinryu’s Domain (Unreal).

The Final Fantasy XI crossover alliance raid series also reaches its conclusion in Echoes of Vana’diel – Windurst: The Third Walk. Square Enix positions it as the climax of Sareel Ja’s ambitions, making it one of the clear centerpiece additions in Patch 7.5’s PvE lineup.

A new Ultimate raid is also part of the broader 7.5x cycle. Square Enix’s official site confirms its existence, but the public 7.5 special site does not name the encounter or lock it to a specific sub-patch on the page itself, so overstating the exact patch number would be reckless unless Square Enix confirms it more directly elsewhere.

Beastmaster Is Confirmed, but It Is Not Day-One Patch 7.5 Content

One of the biggest announced additions in the 7.5 cycle is Beastmaster, which Square Enix has confirmed as a new limited job. The official site lists it as part of the Patch 7.5 feature slate, but the same site also warns that some content in the 7.5 package arrives later via patch updates, which is why Beastmaster should be framed as a 7.5x addition, not guaranteed day-one content on April 28.

Square Enix’s March press materials and Live Letter coverage described Beastmaster as a limited job built around weakening and capturing beasts, then calling them into battle, with captured creatures logged in the Master’s Bestiary. The same reveal also said the initial release would include 50 beast types and a dedicated solo progression mode called Crucible of the Unbroken.

One other major change tied to Patch 7.5 affects limited jobs more broadly. In a Lodestone notice, Square Enix said that after Patch 7.5 goes live, limited jobs will only be able to accept limited-job quests and quests available to all classes/jobs. The company also said limited jobs will be unable to proceed with certain allied society quests that are quest-synced and require the same class or job through completion.

Occult Crescent Continues and Phantom Weapons Move Forward

The 7.5x cycle also expands Occult Crescent with North Horn, adding new enemies, FATEs, critical encounters, a higher knowledge level cap, and more phantom-job content. Square Enix added those details in its updated special-site materials, reinforcing that 7.5 is being treated as a staggered rollout rather than a single-day content dump.

At the same time, Phantom Weapons are continuing toward their final form. That makes FFXIV Patch 6.55 a useful internal reference point here, because it gives readers historical context for how Final Fantasy XIV handles late-cycle weapon progression and patch-to-patch upgrade paths. Patch 7.5’s official site confirms new Weapon Enhancement Quests – Phantom Weapons as part of the update cycle.

PvP Gets a New Crystalline Conflict Stage

Patch 7.5 also adds Archeia Harmonias, a new Crystalline Conflict map. Square Enix says the stage includes aetherometers, aetherial bridges, and healing glyphs, giving it a more mechanics-driven identity than a basic visual reskin.

That means the update is not just building out story and raid content. It is also giving PvP players a fresh map with distinct movement and control elements, which helps make the patch feel broader than a purely MSQ-focused update.

Gatherers, Crafters, and Side Systems Are Getting More Too

Outside of combat, Square Enix has confirmed a new ocean fishing route, the next Cosmic Exploration destination in Auxesia, and a Manderville Gold Saucer update as part of the 7.5x cycle. The official patch site also ties Auxesia to ongoing Cosmic Tools progression.

These additions matter because they keep Patch 7.5 from reading like a raid-only update. Dawntrail’s late-cycle patches are also continuing to push side systems for gatherers, crafters, explorers, and long-term progression players.

Housing, Storage, and Dye Changes Could Matter as Much as the Combat Additions

Patch 7.5 is also bringing a notable batch of housing and quality-of-life changes. Square Enix’s official reveal and subsequent coverage say indoor and outdoor furnishing limits are increasing, new interior fixture designs are coming, and the larger interior-expansion feature is being saved for a later housing update rather than Patch 7.5 itself.

The dye overhaul is another major system change. Square Enix said dye items will be consolidated into three categoriesto reduce inventory clutter while keeping the total number of available colors unchanged, and that players will be able to exchange affected dyes through a bulk-conversion process.

Storage is getting a meaningful boost too. Recent Live Letter coverage says the armoire will support all job-specific gearand dungeon gear from 3.0 onward, which is broader than only 7.x dungeon sets. That is a more precise way to frame the change.

Patch 7.5 Is Big, but the 7.5x Rollout Is the Real Story

The most important thing to understand about Final Fantasy XIV Patch 7.5 is that Square Enix is treating it as the opening chapter of a broader rollout, not a one-day dump of everything already announced. The April 28 patch starts Trail to the Heavens, adds a major first wave of battle and system content, and sets up later 7.5x updates to carry some of the cycle’s biggest features forward.

So while Patch 7.5 already looks loaded with new story content, PvE additions, PvP updates, housing changes, and system overhauls, April 28 is really the beginning of the update arc rather than its endpoint.

Jundroo has officially moved the SimplePlanes 2 release date up to April 23, 2026, with the game set to launch in Steam Early Access at 12:00 PM CT. The studio confirmed the change in its new “Good News Everyone!”announcement, which replaced the earlier April 28 plan.

The update came directly from Jundroo rather than from storefront guesswork or community speculation. In that announcement, the studio said it decided to move the game forward after realizing that s&box release was also on April 28 and could overlap with part of the same sandbox audience.

What is confirmed right now is the launch date, launch time, Steam Early Access release, and pricing. What remains less clear is the timing for platforms beyond the initial PC launch. Jundroo’s FAQ says the first release is planned for Steam on Windows and macOS, while iOS and Android are planned later. The same FAQ says console and Quest versions are possible, but not confirmed.

That means the date story is no longer a matter of conflicting listings. The older April 28 plan is outdated. The Steam page now shows April 23, 2026, which lines up with Jundroo’s newest official post.

Jundroo Has Turned a Wait Into an Earlier Launch

This matters because SimplePlanes 2 had been sitting in the usual wait-and-see zone for a while. Jundroo previously pointed to March 2026, then April 2026, and then specifically April 28 before making this latest move. The game now finally has a firm and current launch date attached to it.

That also gives the story a better angle than a standard date-confirmation article. This is not a delay story and it is not a vague-window update. Jundroo has moved the game forward by five days, which is a stronger signal than another cautious “coming soon” post.

What SimplePlanes 2 Actually Adds

SimplePlanes 2 is being presented as a much broader sandbox sequel rather than a small step up from the original. On Steam, Jundroo describes it as a game where players can build planes, cars, or anything else using procedural parts, then explore detailed environments with friends in multiplayer. The store page also highlights access to 1,000,000 community crafts.

The feature upgrades are where the sequel starts to separate itself more clearly. Jundroo’s materials point to major improvements in procedural wings, fuselages, and engines, along with upgraded building tools and a broader vehicle sandbox than before. That wider scope is part of why the game looks more ambitious than the original SimplePlanes instead of just feeling like a numbered refresh.

Coming from a category of multiplayer games is also a bigger selling point than it was in the first game’s era. Jundroo has already shown off Major Chadas the game’s mascot-style player model, and its multiplayer materials say players can host lobbies with up to 15 other players while setting rules such as weather, time of day, and craft part limits. If you want the cautious editorial framing, the cleaner wording is that the game supports multiplayer lobbies for up to 10 players, with higher limits supported in private sessions.

Backwards Compatibility Could Be One of Its Best Launch Advantages

One of the strongest hooks is the game’s connection to the original community. Jundroo’s Steam page says players will be able to download 1,000,000 community crafts, while the FAQ says players will be able to fly their SimplePlanes 1 crafts in SimplePlanes 2. That gives the sequel a much bigger launch-day sandbox than many Early Access building games usually get.

That matters because it cuts directly into a common Early Access problem: strong tools but not enough content. If SimplePlanes 2 delivers on that backwards-compatibility promise the way Jundroo is presenting it, the sequel could open with a huge built-in library of things for players to test, modify, and share.

The Early Access Label Still Matters

Even with the date moved forward, this is still an Early Access launch, not a 1.0 release. Jundroo’s FAQ says the studio is using Early Access so it can keep building features such as localization, VR support, more parts, and more environments with community feedback. Steam’s Early Access section also says the current plan is for the game to remain in Early Access for about a year.

That is important because it keeps expectations honest. The game appears feature-rich already, but Jundroo is still positioning it as a project that will continue expanding after launch rather than as a finished product pretending not to be one.

SimplePlanes 2 Release Date

The short answer is now clear: SimplePlanes 2 launches in Steam Early Access on April 23, 2026, at 12:00 PM CT. Jundroo has also kept the previously announced $19.99 base price and 10% launch discount, which lowers the price to $17.99 for the first 14 days.

So this is no longer a question of whether players should follow the old April 28 announcement or an earlier storefront listing. Jundroo has already settled that. The studio moved the game forward, and the SimplePlanes 2 release dateplayers should follow now is April 23.

For more latest gaming news, gaming coverage, follow our ongoing coverage on GameEmpress.